I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Did you see that movie about American Green Berets in Afghanistan in 2001 who had to ride horses to meet with a Northern warlord to fight the Taliban, 12 Strong (2018, starring Chris Hemsworth)? Me too. Did you know they met a group of horseback warrior women before they met up with said warlord, a group of women who’d been riding an ancient line of Persian horses into battle in Afghanistan for decades? Me neither. Funny how history is so focused on the “his” and ignores the “hers”, isn’t it?
Pardis Mahdavi’s Book of Queens: The True Story of the Middle Eastern Horsewomen Who Fought the War on Terror is part memoir, part biography, and part tribute to the women in Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, and surrounding areas whose lives centered around horses. Mahdavi herself is the granddaughter of one of the multiple larger-than-life women celebrated in Book of Queens.
The story begins with Maryam, a thirteen year old Iranian girl in 1925 who’s abusive father tries to marry her off. She finds escape in riding her special horse, Shokat, but her father and brothers disapprove of riding. They insist she’ll be “ruined” (no longer a virgin) and unmarriageable. When Maryam runs away, her mother finds her, also on horseback, and tells her the secret of the women in her family. They come from a long line of horsewomen and horse warriors in Persia. Maryam builds her life based on this belief. Maryam finds purpose by rescuing women (or girls, many under 16) in awful abusive relationships, which are far too common. Under cover of night and with the help of alcohol to calm both horses and riders, Maryam delivers many to a group of women warriors living freely in caves in Afghanistan.
At the same time (in alternating chapters), we follow the life of Louise, an American girl growing up in the 1940’s in Virginia, USA. She’s also completely focused on horses, and through college trips to Beirut with her brother she meets an Iranian prince who is just as focused on horsemanship as she, and that’s how she ends up living on a farm in Iran. Louise and Maryam eventually meet and collaborate on a breeding program for this ancient line of Iranian horses, initially to the pride and support of the ruling regime, and later quietly in the background.
Book of Queens is a masterful herstory entwining the fates of Maryam, Louise, the Afghani warrior women, and eventually Pardis with the rediscovery and rise of the Caspian horse. The breed is important because it’s the oldest living breed from Antiquity, and can be seen on carved reliefs from Persepolis. The Caspian horse is the breed of warriors, of ancient empires. The efforts of Maryam and Louise took it off the endangered species list by starting breeding programs outside of Iran.
I adored this book. I’m a sucker for good historical non-fiction, particularly when it focuses on women’s stories. Book of Queens could easily be considered proof that modern day Amazons exist, or perhaps more accurately, that Amazons never truly disappeared. It’s worth a quick note, however, that there are some serious content warning moments in this book: horrific domestic abuse, child rape (i.e. child marriage), and multiple terrible horse deaths occur. Maryam did not have an easy life, nor did Louise.
Overall, I would read Book of Queens again, and I’d like a non-ebook copy for my library. I love that this is Mahdavi’s tribute to the extraordinary women in her life and ancestry. The book’s tone is more like a complex, fascinating, and exciting story than historical non-fiction, so it’s a fast and excellent read. It sheds light on an area of the world and culture often misunderstood or ignored from the American (and male) perspective, which gives us an important addition to the historical tapestry of the world.
No Pithy Phrase 